SMAT | Padikkal’s pyrotechnics propels Karnataka to a massive win over Tamil Nadu

Devdutt Padikkal smashed a scintillating unbeaten 102 (46b, 10x4, 6x6) to propel Karnataka to its second-highest full of 245 for three, mounting up a thumping 145-run triumph implicit Tamil Nadu successful their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite Group-D fourth-round clash astatine the Narendra Modi Stadium B-Ground present connected Tuesday.

The left-hander completed his 4th T20 100 successful benignant — a 45-ball onslaught sealed with a consecutive six disconnected R. Rajkumar connected the penultimate shot of Karnataka’s innings.

If his sound had a cardinal target, it was T. Natarajan. Padikkal plundered 45 from conscionable 17 balls disconnected the left-arm seamer, peppering him with 4 fours and 3 towering sixes. In a 100 laced with intent, the battle connected Natarajan became the soundtrack.

Padikkal didn’t fuss settling in. His archetypal interaction of the shot was unit successful the guise of timing — a flick to midwicket disconnected Natarajan that sailed retired of the crushed for a six. When Natarajan missed his yorkers, Padikkal sent him consecutive backmost implicit long-off and past flicked him implicit square-leg for 2 much sixes.

When the magnitude shifted short, Padikkal shifted modes — helping 1 implicit the keeper, pulling different to quadrate leg, and guiding a 3rd past abbreviated 3rd man, each for fours. He adjacent recovered the screen bound with a rasping carve for bully measure.

Under the value of a large chase, Tamil Nadu crumbled. Leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal drew opener Amith Sathvik (15) guardant and retired of the crease to beryllium stumped, had Jagadeesan (21) propulsion consecutive to long-on, and had R. Rajkumar (16) spread retired to an incoming long-off to decorativeness with figures of 3 for 21.

Fellow leg-spinner Pravin Dubey had Sai Kishore caught-and-bowled, TN skipper Varun Chakaravarthy (duck) deed consecutive to heavy midwicket, and Natarajan (1) connection a drawback to long-off for his 3 for 15. Sai Sudharsan (8) played connected to person his off-stump knocked down disconnected pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak.

Later successful the day, skipper Manisankar Murasingh’s all-round effort — an unbeaten 25 disconnected 18 balls, and 2 for 19 successful 4 overs — helped Tripura clinch an upset 12-run triumph implicit Delhi.

He provided a precocious flourish with the bat, cracking a lofted extra-cover 4 and a pulled mid-wicket six disconnected Ayush Badoni successful the last implicit to assistance Tripura to a competitory 157 for five.

With the ball, the medium-pacer struck early, removing the unsafe Priyansh Arya (8) successful the 3rd implicit erstwhile the batter slashed a wide transportation to 3rd man. In the 19th over, helium had Tejasvi Dahiya (23) mistime a propulsion disconnected an off-cutter bouncer, holing retired to the incoming long-on fielder.

Despite conceding a mates of wides, medium-pacer Indrajit Debnath inactive managed to support 20 successful the past over, arsenic Anuj Rawat’s (16) on-side heave went consecutive to abbreviated 3rd man.